A handful of people take the inaugural ride Thursday down the new 15th Street Bikeway in downtown Denver. The bikeway is on the left side of the road and is expected to feature a shared vertical barrier with the roadway.

Bicyclist Dustin Martin said he’s almost been hit by a car multiple times while riding along 15th Street in downtown Denver.

“It’s one of the worst streets downtown to ride,” he said.

So, it was a pleasant surprise Thursday when Martin was leaving work to find the 15th Street Bikeway ready for use.

The bikeway, clearly noted with green pavement markings, is the new left-side lane on 15th Street between Cleveland Place and Larimer Street.

“That area is a very important connection for the biking community,” said Emily Williams, Denver Public Works spokeswoman.

Among the changes for the lane is a large green “bike box” for cyclists at 15th and Cleveland, which means motorists can no longer turn right on a red signal at the intersection.

In the spring, some type of physical divider will be added to separate the bike and car lanes, Williams said.

Volunteers were out along 15th on Thursday to help cyclists and motorists acclimate to the changes.

“Everything we have heard so far about the lane has been very positive, and I have not heard of any near-misses because of it,” said Cindy Patton, a Denver Public Works employee who was a guide at the 15th and Cleveland intersection.

The point of the bikeway is to organize traffic along the area better, with cyclists to the left, motorists in the middle and buses on the right, according to Denver Public Works.

The pilot program may expand to other areas depending on the feedback from the initial bikeway, Williams said.

Ryan Parker was a reporter for The Denver Post from 2011 until May 2014. A Colorado native, Parker started his career at smaller weeklies and worked for YourHub before becoming a breaking news reporter for The Post.

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